IoT for Sustainable Agriculture

Precision farming technology, driven by the Internet of Things (IoT), offers solutions to improve agricultural production, reduce resource usage, and enhance crop management.

FREMONT, CA: Precision farming technology is an attainable solution to the looming food problem and the growing need to improve agricultural production. Fertilizer, pesticide, fossil fuel, and water use will be reduced even further if precision farming technology is widely implemented. Because of the Internet of Things, the worldwide precision agricultural business is quickly developing. It is expected to exceed USD 26 billion by 2030, growing at a 14 percent annual rate from around USD 8 billion in 2021.

As a result of smart agriculture, field owners may adapt to local changes in real-time and remove hazards that could harm productivity. Precision agriculture technologies enable storing agricultural data in a single location, particularly when using cloud-based technology. Farmers can easily access data from any device, making crop management much easier. Farmers frequently overuse chemicals to combat pests in their farms. It not only degrades the soil and crops, but it also has a substantial impact on the budget. Everything changes, though, with IoT precision agriculture. This technology allows for the use of chemicals only when necessary while efficiently protecting crops.

Agriculture is one of the industries that consumes the most water, so intelligent water management is vital. Precision farming allows for measuring soil moisture and rainfall levels to decide the ideal time to irrigate a field. Precision agriculture with IoT enables farmers to identify the precise amount of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides required for a specific field. It also aids in efficiently using fuel, water, and power. All of this helps the environment by reducing dangerous trash. Farmers can better examine processes on their farms due to IoT technology in precision agriculture.

The Internet of Things will provide real-time information on crop status, soil quality, weather conditions, or worker performance on the farm, improving the understanding of all agricultural processes. In precision agriculture, resources can be optimized through the Internet of Things. This technology increases output and reduces operational costs by accurately estimating harvest volume and estimating water and fertilizer.

The created greenhouse automation system makes effective use of resources. This platform splits the greenhouse into distinct zones, each with its microclimate. As a result, farmers may harvest various crops under the best lighting, irrigation, and temperature circumstances. 

Thanks to the Internet of Things in agriculture, farmers can use drones with hyperspectral and multispectral sensors. It is possible to gain a better understanding of crop and soil moisture conditions using these gadgets. The IoT-enabled drone can also be used to manage natural disasters. Utilizing IoT technologies for precision agriculture can improve internal management operations. This technology allows field managers to efficiently supervise their personnel and boost their output by providing real-time information on field conditions. IoT simplifies all aspects of precision farming. Real-time data can be collected, transmitted, analyzed, and risk-managed, and agricultural data can be monitored in real time.